Latch



June 7, 1955 G. L. LARIMORE,

LATCH Filed Aug. 20, 1953 m m m m Arron/vs):

GALE/V LEE LAR/MORE uilw'w & firm nited States LATCH Galen Lee Larimore, North Royalton, Ohio, assignor to Langenau Manufacturing (30., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio This invention relates generally to improvements in a latch and more particularly to a spring for a latch.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved spring for a pivotal latch member which will positively and firmly constrain the latching hook in a latched position.

Another object is to provide a pivotal latch member with an improved spring that is readily assembled without special tools.

Another object is to provide an improved spring that can be readily assembled, and which, when fastened in position, holds its associated latch member in its anchor plate.

Another object is to provide an improved spring that is extremely simple in construction and easy to manufacture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a latch spring characterized by its structural simplicity, its ease of assembly; its strong and sturdy nature and its low manufacturing cost.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a latch with which my invention may be used, mounted in a lid shown in fragmental cross-section, and a coacting catch mounted in a body member shown in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the latch and spring from Fig. 1 in an unlatched'position but adapted to cooperate with the catch shown in crosssection;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the latch and spring taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2, excluding the catch;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the latch and spring taken along the line 44 of Fig; 2;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the latch and, spring shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the spring member before assembly with the latch.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a latch generally shown at 10 is secured in a recess 11 of a box lid 12 by suitable fastening means passing through securing holes 16b and adaptedto engage catch 13, which is fastened to the base Wall 14 by means of screw threads 13a.

Catch 13 has an annular shoulder 15, which is engaged by the hook portion 19a of latch 10.

The latch 10 comprises an anchor plate 16, containing an aperture 16a, through which latch member 17 extends and is substantially pivotally mounted-therein. The latch member 17 consists of three different integrally connected portions, namely 18, 19 and 20. Portion 18 is a neck piece which pivotally extends through the aperture 16a and oscillates between the latching position of Fig. 1 and the unlatching position of Fig. 2. The second portion 19 extends downwardly below plate atent 0 2 16 and includes a hook 19a which engages the shoulder 15 of catch 13. The third portion 20 is a handle having an L-shape. anchor plate as seen in Fig. 1, the hook 19a is in catch engaging position.

A U-shape guide member 21 is provided to guidev and shield the portion 19 and 19a of the latch. A U-shape spring 22 is fastened to the anchor plate and exerts tension on the handle portion of the latch member 17 thereby constraining the latch into catch engaging position.

The details of spring 22 are clearly shown in perspective in Fig. 6. The spring 22 is made of spring steel or other suitable material and is generally U-shape, having two main legs 23 and 24 integrally connected by a neck portion 25. The leg 23 is bifurcated so as to provide two forks 23a and 23b having an elongated longitudinal slot 26 extending between them. The slot 26 has two opposed cut-outs or notches 27 and 28 in its side walls. The lower leg 23 forms a keeper plate which is fastened to the anchor plate 16; the upper leg 24 acts as a spring member and exerts spring tension whenever its neutral position as seen in Fig 6 is disturbed.

The spring 22 as shown is stamped out of a plate of spring metal but other ways of forming the same will occur to those skilled in this art.

The spring 22 is fastened to the anchor plate asseen in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The portion 18 of latch 17 fits into the slot 26 of the spring 22. The U-shape guide member 21 has each of its legs provided with an up-standing lug, 21a and 21b, which passes upwardly through the aperture 16a of the anchor plate 16, one on each side of the latch member 17, and outwardly through the opposed cut-outs 27 and 28. The lugs 21a and 21b are then turned over tightly against the upper surface of leg 23, thus securely holding the spring in place, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5. The spring leg 24 engages the top surface of the latch member 17 and holds this member against the anchor plate 16 so that the hook portion 19a is in catch engaging position. During operation of the handle 20 the spring leg 24 is flexed and placed under tension so that upon releasing the handle, the latch is automatically returned to the latching position.

My improved spring may be installed after the other components of the latch have been assembled. By certain manipulations the latch member may be inserted throughaperture 16a in anchor plate, 16; as described in the copending application of Paul P. Harsch, SerialNo. 296,221, filed June 28, 1952, now Patent No. 2,704,219, is u d Mar h, 15, 1. 55.- The lugs 2 an 2,1 2 are 6 tended through aperture 164: and notches 27, and 28. The spring may be shipped over the, latch 17 by means of slot 25 until the leg 23 contacts the anchor plate 16. At this point, the leg 24 will engage the top of the latch member 17. The lugs 21a and 21b are then turned over (outwardly away from each other) as previously mentioned and the spring becomes operatively connected. It should further be noted that upon engaging the cutout 27 and 28, the lugs 21a and 21b prevent lateral displacement of the spring when the spring is placed under tension. Also, after spring 22 is in place, the leg 24 covers sufiicient of aperture 16a that latch me ber cann be r moved as ta gh in th above-men ioned Ha application.

It is pp ren r m. h dr wi g nd he d scussi given h r in efore th t this novel, yp f spri g. mean s ill s r e is extremely simple t e nstru t. ea y, to assemble and positive in its action.

What I claim is:

1. In a securing device comprising an anchor plate having an aperture therethrough and a latch member extending through and oscillatable relative to said anchor plate, said latch member having a catch engaging por- When this handle is held flush against, the

, having its tion on one side of said anchor plate and a handle on the other, a generally U-shaped guide member for said catch engaging portion of the latch member, said guide member having its two ends forming lugs which extend through the aperture on either side of the latch member; spring means to constrain the latch member in a position, said lugs preventing lateral movement or" said spring when the spring is placed under tension by operation of the latch handle.

2. In a securing device comprising an anchor plate having an aperture therethrough and a latch member extending through and oscillatable relative to said anchor plate, said latch member having a catch engaging portion on one side of said anchor plate and a handle on the other, a U-shaped guide member for said catch engaging portion of the latch member, said guide member having its two ends forming lugs which extend through the ap-- erture on either side of the latch member; spring means to constrain the latch member in a latched position, said spring means located on the latch handle side of the anchor plate, said spring means being made of spring metal and generally of U-shape, one leg of which is bifurcated, opposed cut-outs in the bifurcation opening toward the fork of said bifurcation, said leg secured to the anchor plate by means of said lugs engaging said notches and bent down upon said leg, said latch member passing between said work of said spring, a second leg on said spring exerting spring tension on said latch member and constraining the catch engaging portion to a latched position.

'3. In a securing device comprising an anchor plate having an aperture therethrough and a latch member extending through and oscillatable relative to said anchor plate,

said latch member having a catch engaging portion on one side of said anchor plate and a handle on the other,

a U-shape guide member for said catch engaging portion of the latch member, said guide member two ends forming lugs which extend through the aperture on either side of the latch member said aperture being large enough for said latch member to pass through it; spring means to constrain said latch in a latched position, said spring means positioned on the latch handle side of the anchor plate, said spring means being made of a spring metal and of generally U-shape, said spring means comprising two legs, the first of said legs containing a slot, said slot having a width less than said aperture in said anchor plate said slot having opposed cut-outs in its side walls, said slotted leg forming a keeper plate secured to the anchor plate by means of said lugs engaging said cut-outs and bent down upon said slotted leg, said latch member passing through the slot in said keeper plate, the second of said legs on said spring means engaging the handle portion of said latch member to normally constrain said catch into latching position.

4. In a securing device comprising an anchor plate having an aperture therethrough and a latch member extending through and oscillatable relative to said anchor plate, said latch member having a catch engaging portion on one side of said anchor plate and a handle on the other, a U-shaped guide member for said catch engaging portion of the la h e e sa g ide member having its two ends forming lugs which extend through the aperture on either side of the latch member said aperture being large enough for said latch member to pass through it; spring means to constrain said latch in a latched position, said spring means positioned on the latch handle side of the anchor plate, said spring means being made of a spring metal and of generally U- shape, said spring means comprising spaced legs, one of said legs containing a slot, said slot having a width greater than the thickness of said latch member, said slot having opposed cut-outs on its side Walls, said slotted leg forming a keeper plate secured to the anchor plate by means of said lug engaging said cut-outs, said latch member passing through the slot in said keeper plate, one end of said latch member abutting the keeper plate when said handle is oscillated to an unlatching position, the other of said legs on said spring means conforming closely about said latch member engaging the handle portion of said latch member to normally constrain said catch into latching position, whereby said latch member cannot be disassembled from said anchor plate without removal of said spring means.

5. In a securing device comprising an anchor plate having an aperture therethrough and a latch member extending through and oscillatable relative to said anchor plate, said latch member having a catch engaging portion on one side of said anchor plate and a handle on the other, a U-shapcd guide member for said catch engaging portion of the latch member, said guide member having its two ends forming lugs which extend through the aperture on either side of the latch member said aperture being large enough for said latch member to pass through it; spring means to constrain said latchin a latched position, said spring means positioned on the latch handle side of the anchor plate, said spring means being made of a spring metal and of generally U-shape, said spring means comprising two spaced legs of substantially the same length, a curved neck portion integrally connecting said legs, the first of said legs containing a slot extending longitudinally inwardly from the end of said leg, said slot having a width less than said aperture in said anchor plate and greater than the thickness of said latch member, said slot having opposed cut-outs in its side walls, said cut-outs being positioned substantially intermediate the ends of slot, said slotted leg forming a keeper plate secured to the anchor plate by means of said lugs engaging said cut-outs and bent down upon said slotted leg, said latch member passing through the slot in said keeper plate, one end of said latch member abutting the closed end of said keeper plate adjacent said neck portion when said handle is oscillated to an unlatching position, the second of said legs on said spring means conforming closely about the outer periphery of that portion of said latch member which abuts said keeper plate and extending to engage the handle portion of said latch member to normally constrain said catch into latching position, said closedend of said keeper plate and the walls of said aperture in said anchor plate preventing removal of said latch member from said anchor plate, whereby said latch member cannot be disassembled from said anchor plate without removal of said spring means even though said second leg of said spring means be completely distorted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 604,786 Pletcher May 31, 1898 1,514,816 Anderson Nov. 11, 1924 2,255,543 Fisher Sept. 9, 1941 2,634,997 Gallowitz Apr. 14, 1 953 

